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Celtic are in the process of making some significant moves this summer and look to have reignited their interest in an exciting attacker, according to a report.

Celtic searching for attackers to offer final third variation

Brendan Rodgers opted to operate with Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah as central options during the second half of last campaign, taking a look at the market before deciding to stick rather than twist in January.

However, Celtic are set to conclude a deal for Fulham youngster Callum Osmand after the Wales international turned down the opportunity to sign professional terms at Craven Cottage, offering an alternative threat through the middle.

Nevertheless, Frank McAvennie believes the Bhoys should offer a shock deal to Jamie Vardy amid their efforts to strengthen across the front four positions, with free agent Danny Ings also recommended by the former Scotland international.

The ex-Celtic explained: “Vardy. I would take Vardy. I know they are talking about him going to Rangers, but I would take Vardy at Celtic.

“They (Vardy and Danny Ings) are goal scorers. Two of them are goal scorers. They are just natural predators. Get them up here. Good names.”

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While it feels unlikely that either of the duo mentioned would arrive north of the border, there is an appetite for another striker and winger at a minimum to bolster squad depth.

Marco Tilio’s return from Melbourne City could also intrigue Celtic, but it has always felt likely that the Bhoys will dip into the market to acquire new creative threats.

Speaking of which, Rodgers’ men have now reportedly opened talks with a familiar target as they look to push a deal over the line, per recent developments.

Celtic hold discussions to sign Michel-Ange Balikwisha

According to Sacha Tavolieri on X, Celtic have made contact and opened discussions with Michel-Ange Balikwisha’s camp to begin ‘new discussions regarding personal terms’ involving the Royal Antwerp man.

Retaining an interest in the former Belgium Under-21 international since last summer, further updates are expected on his future in the coming days as Rodgers looks to land his man.

Labelled “unpredictable” by Ben Mattinson, Balikwisha is someone the Irishman has personally expressed an interest in signing and his small sample size on the pitch over the campaign has illustrated why.

Despite having injury issues, the 24-year-old registered four goals and three assists in 18 matches across all competitions. Valued at roughly £4.2 million by Transfermarkt, it remains to be seen what the ballpark figure is for Celtic to secure his services.

Liverpool are preparing a massive bid for a “brilliant” holding midfielder who is loved by Pep Guardiola and has been compared to Manchester United star and Real Madrid legend Casemiro, according to a new report.

Liverpool expecting big summer

Despite enjoying a superb first season under Dutch head coach Arne Slot, Liverpool and FSG are not planning to rest on their laurels and are expected to be very busy in the upcoming summer transfer window – especially with a number of players set to leave Anfield.

The most high-profile of the imminent departures is, of course, Trent Alexander-Arnold, who looks likely to join Real Madrid as a free agent at the conclusion of the campaign.

His reported move to the Santiago Bernabeu has split opinion among fans – some feeling the Englishman is deserting his boyhood club, others wishing him luck as he embarks on a new chapter after playing a crucial role in Liverpool’s return to Europe’s elite.

Elsewhere, midfielder Wataru Endo could move on, while Portuguese forward Diogo Jota could also leave, having struggled with persistent injuries and been unable to put together a consistent run of games.

On the incoming front, several names are already being floated.

Liverpool want world's "best player" in £77m deal who'd be Slot’s own Mane

Liverpool are planning to strengthen Arne Slot’s frontline in the transfer market this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 25, 2025

They include Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen, West Ham United’s Mohamed Kudus, Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, and Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak – who is believed to be Liverpool’s top target after a stellar season in which he scored over 25 goals, helped the Magpies lift the EFL Cup, and pushed them to the brink of Champions League qualification.

Liverpool preparing £50m+ Adam Wharton bid

Another player reportedly on Liverpool’s radar is Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton.

The Englishman, who has already drawn comparisons to Manchester United star and Real Madrid legend Casemiro, has been superb since joining Palace from Blackburn Rovers in February 2024. His all-action performances in the middle of the park have caught the attention of clubs across Europe, including Real Madrid, and recently earned him a place in the England squad.

According to a new report from The Sun, Liverpool are preparing a £50 million-plus bid for Wharton this summer in an effort to beat out the competition and lure him to Merseyside from Selhurst Park.

The newspaper claims that while Palace have enjoyed an excellent season, reaching the FA Cup final, the lure of Champions League football could prove too strong for Wharton to resist, and that “he may take the chance” to move to Anfield.

Wharton’s performances have earned widespread praise, including from Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola. Speaking ahead of City’s 5-2 win over Palace last month, Pep described the 20-year-old as “an excellent holding midfielder.”

“The impact has been really good, coming from the Championship to the Premier League. Brilliant left foot, a really good player,” Guardiola said.

One of Aston Villa’s top earners is reportedly open to a summer exit due to limited playing time, according to a new report.

Aston Villa's forwards thriving in charge for top five finish

Despite being knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain, Aston Villa are enjoying a superb run of form, having won 10 of their last 11 games in all competitions. Their most recent triumph was a resounding victory over high-flying Newcastle United at Villa Park.

Romano: Aston Villa star club are "happy" with could leave for right offer

He’s future at Villa Park isn’t guaranteed.

ByBarney Lane Apr 22, 2025

A significant factor behind Villa’s recent success has been their in-form forward line, with Ollie Watkins, Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio and Donyell Malen all playing pivotal roles in recent months.

Asensio, in particular, has been hugely impressive since joining on loan from PSG in January, notching five goals and four assists for Unai Emery’s side — including a brilliant brace in a 2-1 win over top-four rivals Chelsea back in February.

Speaking on the Spaniard’s impact, former Villa defender Matthew Upson described him as “world class,” telling BBC Radio 5 Live: “He’s going to play a big part in the exciting finish to the season they have ahead.”

Leon Bailey attracting offers to leave Villa

With Asensio and co. flying at Villa Park, one man who has found game time hard to come by this season is Leon Bailey. The Jamaica international, who joined Villa from Bayer Leverkusen in 2021, has started just 14 Premier League games this term — though his cause hasn’t been helped by injuries, particularly since the turn of the year.

Amid his struggles, GIVEMESPORT now reports that the 27-year-old, who earns £120,000 per week, could be open to leaving Villa Park this summer if the right offer comes in, and there are suitors queuing up to tempt him away.

According to the publication, Bailey would prefer to stay and fight for his place in Emery’s plans, but if it becomes clear that regular minutes are unlikely, he would be “prepared to listen to offers from interested parties”.

Bailey has scored 22 goals and provided 24 assists in 142 appearances for Villa since joining from Bayer Leverkusen — a respectable, if unspectacular, return for a player who cost the club around £30 million.

While consistency has sometimes eluded him, the Jamaican winger has certainly shown flashes of brilliance during his time at Villa Park. One such moment came in Villa’s 3-1 win over Club Brugge in the Champions League back in March, where Bailey found the back of the net inside just three minutes.

Commenting on the goal, former Chelsea forward Pat Nevin was full of praise: “The game has started in slow motion and the goal was scored in slow motion. The ball was played to the back post and Tyrone Mings nods it back and the defenders were stationary. The control from Leon Bailey is sensational and it was a lovely little side-foot finish. Dream start for Villa.”

Already an England great, Joe Root is still hungry for more – and Sachin Tendulkar’s record may not be safe

Matt Roller25-Jul-20254:14

Manjrekar: ‘Serious chance’ for Root to break Tendulkar’s record

“Just the one more to go now,” Ricky Ponting declared, as Joe Root jogged a single to overtake him as Test cricket’s second-highest run-scorer. Root has never paid much attention to personal milestones but after this innings, only Sachin Tendulkar is ahead of his 13,409 Test runs; Tendulkar is still a long way off, but nobody has ever come closer.This was a rare day, as Manchester basked in the greatness of a Yorkshireman. The 6000 fans in Old Trafford’s Party Stand rose to their feet when Root glided Anshul Kamboj to deep point to reach 120 and surpass Ponting, then serenaded him by singing his name to the tune of “Hey Jude”. Root grinned sheepishly, then waved his hand as though knocking their applause back.Root was met by another standing ovation when he was finally dismissed for 150, which he turned to acknowledge as he walked off. But first, with his left hand, he briefly imagined a shot that he could have played instead, shaping to work the ball into the leg side. It was a moment that epitomised the hunger and attitude that will keep him going for some time yet.Related

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• Stats – Root second only to Tendulkar for most Test runs

• Record-breaking Root arms England with control of Manchester Test

• Root surpasses Ponting to become the second-highest run-getter in Tests

Ponting’s arrival in the Sky Sports commentary box was perfectly timed: he witnessed what he described as “a magnificent moment in history” on only his third day of work in the series. He will not lose sleep over slipping down to third: when the golf brand Callaway sent him a putter inscribed with 13,378 at the end of his career, he was oblivious that it was his final run tally.It is a trait that Root shares: he has long insisted that he is motivated only by team success and has constantly played down his individual achievements. “I’ve never really been one to have goals because I just feel like if you miss them, then you’ve failed – and this game is full of failure anyway,” he explained in Multan last year, when he became England’s leading Test run-scorer.Alastair Cook, the man he overtook, obsessed over becoming the first Englishman to reach 10,000 runs but struggled to find another motivation thereafter and called time on his Test career two years later. At 34, Root is already a year older than Cook was then, but has expressed his ambitions to play in the 2027 World Cup – and may not stop there.His success has relied upon a hunger to keep improving: in his 40 Tests since stepping down as captain, Root has averaged 57.70, with 13 hundreds. “It’s just about wanting to keep the enjoyment element of it, to keep finding ways of improving and getting better, to make sure you don’t stand still and get stuck in playing one way,” he has said.Joe Root walks off after scoring 150•Getty ImagesWhere some batters – Cook and Ponting among them – struggle when they relinquish the captaincy, Root has attained new heights since he returned to the ranks. He scored heavily in his final years in the role, often shouldering the burden of run-scoring almost single-handedly in a poor side, but has been even better under Ben Stokes’ leadership.His innings in Manchester underlined why. It has often seemed as though Root has spent his entire Test career walking in with England 30 for 2, but their top three – if still imperfect – are far more dependable than they once were. This time, he came out at 197 for 2 and picked off runs against an underwhelming Indian attack, and ticked off landmarks like items on a shopping list.Even if Tendulkar’s record is unlikely to be a major source of motivation for him, Root still has a genuine chance to break it: he is 2,512 runs behind but, for context, has scored 2,556 in his last 50 innings dating back to February 2023. Since England play an average of 12-14 Tests per year, Root could feasibly overtake him by the end of 2027.”I wouldn’t be surprised if he can chase him down,” Ollie Pope said after the third day. “He loves playing for England in Test cricket more than anything… I think he just wants to keep playing as long as he can. The excitement he still has to play Test cricket [is huge]. Whenever we rock up at the start of a series, he’s always got the biggest smile on his face.”The most remarkable, yet least remarked upon, aspect of Root’s sustained brilliance is his fitness. England have played 159 Tests since Root’s debut at Nagpur in 2012 and he has only missed two, once when dropped, the other on paternity leave; despite his occasional back issues, he has never missed a match through injury across a 13-year Test career.Root avoided media duties on Friday evening citing cramp but in truth, his batting has already said more than enough. He has already secured his status as one of England’s all-time greats, and that position will become undisputed if he scores his first hundred in Australia this winter. If he can achieve that, then it would be brave to bet against him catching Tendulkar.

England have attacked unwisely, been sloppy in the field, and made selection mistakes

Ian Chappell02-Jul-2023England are looking more like a team resigned to the fate of losing the Ashes rather than the freewheeling confident bunch who felt they could comfortably achieve victory at home in any circumstances.The Australian team has great confidence and belief in captain Pat Cummins, who has proved his leadership style in a variety of conditions. England, on the other hand, are reeling, having lost a Test they thought they would win, at Edgbaston, and then seen their hopes at Lord’s dashed by all-round sloppy work in the field and a failure to cope with a bouncer attack from the opposition.Australia are growing in strength, while England are starting to question themselves, and this is a recipe for a disaster for the home side. They suffered an ignominious 4-0 hammering in Australia, and now the ugly scars are re-emerging; they’ll have trouble halting the slide.Related

• Australia are quite good, England might not be as good as they thought

• Can England maintain their tactics under an Australian assault? That will decide the result of the Ashes

• England loosen grip on Lord's Test in the face of short-ball barrage after Duckett 98

• Freedom leads to freefall as England batters abdicate responsibility

There is no doubt Ben Stokes is employing the right strategy in trying to win Test matches from the first ball; that is how the game is best played. What is in doubt is the ability of England – as they’re currently constructed – to successfully employ that strategy.England’s bowling and fielding have been disappointing, and now their batting has suffered a dramatic collapse against the short-pitched delivery. Major doubt is now evident in the English camp.It’s going to take a monumental display of strong leadership from Stokes to reboot England’s confidence to a point where they can turn the tables on Australia.Forget the first-innings declaration in the Edgbaston Test – that was a positive move. England lost that match because of their unbalanced, struggling attack, inept fielding, and their confusing and downright poor selection. They had an ageing attack that lacked variety and whose control over line and length was in question when confronted by an onslaught. They also don’t have the pace required to mount a meaningful bouncer barrage.When their batting – a source of comfort in the past – collapsed in a flurry of panicked shot-making at Lord’s, the doubts quickly resurfaced. That this occurred following a major injury to Australia’s prized offspinner Nathan Lyon only underlined England’s plight.

A bouncer barrage like Australia’s takes a physical toll on the bowlers, but if it helps secure an early series victory, the remaining Tests become a matter of coasting home

The England batters had no sensible answer when Australia resorted to a bouncer attack, and this gave Cummins’ men a huge boost. It’s true that Australia’s bowlers have the height and pace to employ bouncers well, but it helps when the opposition self-destructs. While it’s also true that a bouncer assault takes a physical toll on the bowlers, if it helps secure an early series victory, the remaining Tests become a matter of coasting home.It’s all well and good for England to say “That’s the way we play”, but when wild and woolly shot-making like in the first innings at Lord’s is on display, it’s time for the batters to answer some serious questions.In the field England are struggling to combat Steve Smith’s monumental thirst for runs, Usman Khawaja’s stubbornness, and the aggression of Travis Head. In addition, David Warner has shown tremendous resolve to overcome Stuart Broad’s domination. In the face of Australia’s determination, England needed to field superbly but they failed dismally.England’s error-ridden selection was summed up by Moeen Ali’s recall. he was not a successful spinner against Australia even at his peak and yet England chose to bring him back, making yet another serious miscalculation.Now that England’s batting has stumbled and fallen, the selection blunders become more apparent. In the past England haven’t been quick to change tack and resolve thorny issues. I’ll be surprised if the modus operandi changes under this selection group, while Australia are likely to go from strength to strength.Trying to win from the first ball is admirable, but gifting your wicket to the opposition with reckless shot-making is not a tactic designed to beat good sides. Australia under Cummins are a good side.

The Australian players reflect on their title win and what it means to them

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Nov-20213:12

Moody: Credit to Langer and Finch to galvanise this Australian team

Matthew Wade: Huge [on what does this win mean]. At first, T20 World Cup coming in, felt like a lot of people maybe wrote us off and didn’t expect us to get to this moment. But internally we spoke about how we’re going to be the first team to achieve this for Australia. [It’s] something really, really special.

Cricket on ESPN+

Match highlights of the Men’s T20 World Cup final is available in English, and in Hindi (USA only).

[On his innings in the semi-final] When we sit down, I will reflect probably closely on that. I think more than my innings, the partnership, we spoke about me and [Marcus] Stoinis in the rooms when we’re chasing, just saying that we probably didn’t realise that we scored as many runs as we did the other night. And then coming into this game, we felt really confident that if the boys could get off to a good start, then we could contribute at the end, but thankfully Mitch [Marsh] and Davey [Warner] and Maxie [Glenn Maxwell] at the end there did the job for us. As Stoinis said, just so proud of this group. Yeah, we’re stoked.Marcus Stoinis: The key…this group of boys, we absolutely, we actually love each other. It is beautiful. I can’t wait to keep playing with this team. I’m so proud of them. You won’t find bigger supporters of Mitch Marsh than right here and probably his family. We’re so happy for him.Adam Zampa: I just tried to use my strengths to the best of my ability. I knew the wickets were going to be pretty low. I bowled at a good time; we won the toss and bowled first. So it was probably a little bit drier when I was bowling, so I tried to use that to the best of my ability, tried to get tickets when we needed them and tried to defend when we need to do that as well.2:47

Moody: Can’t underestimate Australia as they don’t often play T20Is at full-strength

[On backroom staff] A lot of credit goes to those guys. We’ve been in bubbles for almost two years now. And that takes a toll on everyone, including the staff. Our preparation from their side of things has been great. And it’s their win as well.Glenn Maxwell: He [Zampa] has been a superstar in this format as well as one-day cricket for a long period of time. I’ve had the pleasure of having him at the [Melbourne] Stars and watching him go about his work for a long time. So to watch him bring it straight into international cricket, like there’s absolutely no edges whatsoever. He’s just fitted in so well and last three years as a legspinner, I don’t think there are many better in the world.I was able to give myself a few days off before the tournament to really freshen up and I felt like I was hitting the ball really well. Luckily, that wasn’t really required a whole heap. But it was nice to be out there at the end and get the winning runs.Steven Smith: [This win means] a lot. We’ve worked hard for a long time. This is a trophy that has eluded us for a very long time. So it’s an honour to be out here with the boys and to be able to take that trophy home, it’s exceptional.His [Warner’s] last two weeks have been amazing. A lot of people were writing him off at the start, saying he was out of form but it took one good innings and he was away. Today, I thought he came out with exceptional intent again. Him and Mitchell Marsh, that partnership really set us up for the game. I am really proud of those two boys. I think they’ve had great tournament, both of them.Josh Hazlewood: There’s always pressure, the batters are coming at you from ball one basically. But we started really well, we kept the powerplay to I think around 40. Some pretty good effort there and I obviously got away at the end. But we saw the wicket was pretty good and the exceptional chase from our guys.[On Williamson’s knock] He’s a superb player and he has been for a long time now. Another classical Kane innings really, scored all around the ground and hurts you when you bowl poorly.Justin Langer: I suppose everyone who wins a World Cup says it’s hard to process, it’s hard to put it into words. But this is such a special group of people. I know every coach, every captain says the same thing. But we’ve got some amazing cricketers here, we haven’t had a chance to play together because of different reasons for last 12 months. So when we all got back together, it was almost like a reunion. And they’re such close, there’re so many close relationships there. It’s a very, very special moment for everyone.Mitchell Marsh and Pat Cummins celebrate with the trophy•ICC via Getty ImagesWe knew that when we came back together how much talent we had. That’s for one. I mean, there’s enormous talent in this team. When we’re in the West Indies and Bangladesh leading into this series, there were a few missing pieces. And Mitch Marsh took one of those pieces. And he’s been brilliant. And we also embraced fun. In this situation, where everyone talks about bubble, these guys had so much fun on and off the ground. In this form of the game, actually in the game of cricket, it’s important to have fun and enjoy it, and the guys have done that. I think it was a really important part of our success here.Zamps puts a smile on my face every time because he’s a little bit different. He’s a little hippie, but he’s so competitive, and he’s been so good in this form of the game. We see legspinners have an impact around the world and he’s doing that for Australia now.And Josh Hazlewood, well, he didn’t play the last one-day World Cup because he had some issues with his back. He has come in here, he’s been sublime, so it’s just been a great team effort.Pat Cummins: Pretty pumped. I think once we get back home and get back in there, will it only sink in. A lot of support from back home, like getting up at 1am to watch this game, so a great feeling.It was a good thing playing a little bit of the IPL over here. Even someone like Joshy Hazlewood coming straight from the IPL, here he is seeing to adapt really quickly and I mean, you don’t have to get too funky. It’s just part of what we do again more with the red ball stuff with a few slower balls thrown in there. This is really great, it’s such a complete squad of 15 guys here, so really happy.Mitchell Starc: It’s not been the ideal lead-up, but I think just the closeness of the group, we had a great time here. We’ve had some great times off the field, getting around one another. And I think that showed in the way we played our cricket. We’ve had everyone contribute, guys off the field, on the field, different guys in different games. And we saw that again tonight. So I think that the closeness of the group is what really got us through this tournament, and then hopefully that leads into the summer as well.He [Zampa] has been fantastic. He’s been our best bowler, I think, by far for the last couple of years with the white ball. And he made it really easy for us quickies to work around him. I think we’re pretty confident in what we do and run off the back of each other when Zamps is doing what he does. I think it just makes the bowling group, their role a lot clearer and we can do our job quite easy I guess.

Something feels different about Arsenal this season, doesn’t it? The Gunners sit pretty at the top of the Premier League table and they have a 100% record from their three Champions League matches.

A year ago, it was a struggle. Multiple red cards and injuries plagued a heavily talented squad and, until the latter stages of European competition, they struggled to hit top gear.

Yet for all of the reliance on set-pieces, for all of the ridiculous comments on long throws in recent days, Arsenal looks like the best team in the land.

Steady on. We know. Let’s not count our chickens just yet, but everything is looking rather rosy. Mikel Arteta’s men have shipped just one open-play goal all season and are yet to concede in the Champions League.

Their forward line, as demonstrated in that stunning 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid, is improving all the time too.

That’s hardly a surprise. Andrea Berta – once of Atleti’s parish – invested KSE’s money heavily over the summer on the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze.

Gyokeres went nine goals without finding the net before his brace on Tuesday night. The relief and delight were clear to see on the Swede’s face.

The number 14 has some way to go before he can be considered an all-time great but amidst Arteta’s setup, there are a few faces beginning to make themselves modern icons. Gabriel Magalhaes is the prime example.

Why Gabriel is now the best centre-back on the planet

Swing in a corner or set-piece and there is usually one result. Gabriel will be on hand to head home.

His record in recent years and indeed this season has been extraordinary. No central defender across the top five leagues in European football has scored more goals than his tally of 22 since 2020.

The big Brazilian is inevitable and his remarkable record in 2025/26 has only strengthened his argument as the best goalscoring defender around.

In his last five games, he has scored twice and also picked up two assists. There was that crashing header in the dying embers to win the game at Newcastle United and he followed that up by flicking on Bukayo Saka’s corner for Leandro Trossard’s winner at Craven Cottage a few days ago.

His performance against Atleti, however, was colossal. It was the 27-year-old who headed the Gunners in front from Declan Rice’s teasing free-kick and it was Gabriel who got on the end of Rice’s corner minutes later in the second half. He didn’t find the net this time but he did put it on a plate for Gyokeres to score from a matter of yards out.

But, can he defend too? You bet he can. Gabriel is one of the sternest central defenders in the land.

He has been dribbled past just 0.4 times per game in the league this season and is winning 77% of his ground duels. For context, of Premier League defenders to win more than ten ground duels in 2025/26, he ranks joint-fifth for percentage of ground duels won. He sits level with Virgil van Dijk in that regard.

1. Joel Veltman

89%

2. Noussair Mazraoui

82%

3. Daniel Ballard

78.57%

3= Trevoh Chalobah

78.57%

4. Kenny Tete

77%

5. Virgil van Dijk

76.92%

5= Gabriel

76.92%

Defenders who have won 10 + duels only

So, he’s a set-piece menace. He’s a warrior, he’s a leader of men and he’s a pretty damn good defender too.

Is there anything Gabriel cannot do? Perhaps not. He is undoubtedly one of the best players we’ve seen in the Emirates Stadium era. But, is he the best?

Arsenal's best player since Arsene Wenger retired

While Arsene Wenger’s final few years at Arsenal were not as victorious and triumphant as the early days, he is still remembered fondly. Besides the great Herbert Chapman, he is the finest manager the club have ever had and he had some remarkable players in his armoury.

Whether it was Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira or Robert Pires, the greats of Arsenal were around when Wenger was.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Yet, since he retired, the Gunners have struggled and it’s not until recent years that Arteta has transformed them into title challengers again.

The aforementioned Gabriel has been a big part of that. As has Saka. Without him, there’s a very realistic chance that Arteta wouldn’t even still be in the job.

During the infancy of the Spaniard’s coaching career in north London, it was the Hale End marvel who got the Gunners out of plenty of sticky situations.

Yet, in recent years, they’ve found a transformational player, a generational talent who looks like he could eclipse some of the best players we’ve seen at Arsenal since Wenger walked away. Mesut Ozil? He’s making a bigger impact than him. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang? He’s certainly earned more respect than their former no.14.

Even better than Gabriel and Saka? Arguably so. Rice is your man and he’s becoming one of the finest specimens in world football.

Back in 2023, Edu and Co moved heaven and earth to bring the England international to the Emirates, paying a club-record £105m to sign him from West Ham. They fended off serial winners Manchester City to do so. It was a landmark move.

Well, since heading to Arsenal, Rice has made that fee look like a bargain. Since when has that sort of money ever looked cheap? Well, West Ham must be cursing their luck that they did not get more bang for their buck.

The midfielder was a mighty fine player at West Ham but he has gone on another level after his big-money move.

At the Irons, he was seen as a defensive midfielder but Arteta has transformed him into one of the best, if not the best box-to-box midfielder in the land. Rice’s work rate is simply incredible and his ability to win the ball back is second to very few.

But, at Arsenal, he’s now become a threat in the final third. He scored nine goals and registered ten assists last term, his best tally in a single season.

While the 26-year-old has only scored once in 2025/26, he has registered four assists, all from set-pieces. Indeed, that’s one area where Rice has been exceptional, particularly in the last year.

You won’t need a reminder but we’ll bring it up again anyway. His free-kicks against Real Madrid last season were a thing of beauty. However, it’s his delivery into the box that stands out most.

He was involved in two of the four goals against Atleti this week, swinging in a delicious ball for Gabriel to head home and then firing in the corner that led to Gyokeres’ second.

In the words of Sky Sports reporter Sam Blitz, the Three Lions star is now “the best set-piece taker in world football.”

If you didn’t think Rice could get any better, think again. He is the perfect all-rounder. Gabriel is a menacing centre-back and Saka’s creativity skills are sublime. Yet, the £240k-per-week earner has it all. He can score, he assist, he can defend and he’s arguably got the best set-piece delivery in Europe.

Few will argue against just how good Rice has been since he moved across London. The best signing we’ve seen since Wenger left? It’s hard to suggest he hasn’t been.